


The logistics of falling in love

by Fl_utterby



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And he's damn proud of it, But He Gets Better, Character Development, Developing Relationship, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Like lots of it, M/M, Nico is kinda an asshole at first, Nico's also in a band, One-Sided Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson, Original Character(s), Sibling Bonding, Slow Burn-ish, Unrequited Love, Will owns a bookshop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-26 09:02:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30103554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fl_utterby/pseuds/Fl_utterby
Summary: Love,he believed,was the most glorious thing in the world, but love didn't need to be glorified.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Nico di Angelo, Annabeth Chase & Will Solace, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Kayla Knowles & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo & Kayla Knowles, Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 12
Kudos: 15





	1. The virtues and the vices of love

**Author's Note:**

> I'd been thinking of writing this fic for quite a while now, and the first chapter is finally done.
> 
> Just a little premise— Nico is a freelance ghostwriter and in search of a steady job. He dropped out of uni in his sophomore year while Will is a pre-med student and a bookstore owner. They're both 21-22 in the story.  
> Oh, and Nico's in a band, but that won't be a focus in the future chapters.

_If someone asked Will Solace if he was a romantic, he'd outright deny it and say no, although he could see how they were mistaken._  
  
_Contrary to what everyone believed about him, Will liked to believe that he was a very logical person. He liked to do things in order, be rational, and he hated surprises. Then again he also liked to believe in Unicorns, Jackalopes, and the fact that he'd live to experience world peace, so who's to say._  
  
_Two of his favourite things in the world— love, and stories, yet love stories never made much sense to him. He'd rather read and feel what love is rather than how love should be (Nico would call him a 'Pretentious idiot' for this but that's beside the point.).  
  
Love, he believed, was the most glorious thing in the world, but love didn't need to be glorified. _  
  
_So if someone asked Will if he was a romantic, he'd outright deny it and say no, and he'd also deny that this story is a love story._ No _, he'd say,_ this is a story of love— a story of falling in love, actually.   
  


* * *

  
_If anyone asked Nico the same question, he'd level their questioning eyes with his patented death glare and try to divert the topic. Taking mercy on them, Will would probably answer the question on his behalf, and tell them that Nico was secretly a huge sappy romantic. ("Shhh, don't tell him I told you this.")_  
  
_But if Nico trusted them enough, he'd tell them himself. No, he wasn't a romantic, although he could see how Will was mistaken.  
  
Will probably thought it must come with being a writer. Nico saw poetry in things no one would care to look twice at, and made them beautiful.  
  
And what better way to capture love than beauty?   
_   
_But love wouldn't always be beautiful._ _He knew that love could hurt, and that sometimes love turned bitter and ugly. Love meant holding on and love meant letting go. Love was a paradox and a hypocrite. And love couldn't care less about how you measure it in romance or sappiness._  
  
_If someone asked Nico if this is a love story, he'd also deny it and say no, although with a little hesitation._ This is a story of love _, he would say,_ a story of holding on and letting go. 

* * *

  
"And next in the stage, let's welcome The Olympians."   
  
Nico entered the stage with Percy, Jason, and Frank in tow with a single thought in his mind— _Man, I wish I'd brought a jacket with me._ He had expected the chill of the December evening to be drowned out by the usual ambience of the bar and the crowd, but at the moment all he felt was the cold breeze and his nerves.   
  
From Nico's left, Percy adjusted his mic and addressed the crowd, "We're going to be performing The Great Escape by Boys Like Girls." He lingered over the mic, as if even he couldn't believe what he was going to say next.   
"And this is our last performance before we go on a hiatus, so we hope you'll enjoy it!"   
  
And then Percy started singing. 

_Paper bags and plastic hearts_

_All our belongings in shopping carts_

_It's goodbye, but we got one more night_

_Let's get drunk and ride around_

Nico had chosen the song over one of his own compositions for tonight's performance. Even if it was different from what they usually performed, he'd gotten the band on board by telling them that it would be fitting considering their temporary break. But now he knew the song was less _fitting_ and more of a resignation and acceptance. 

_Watch it burn, let it die,_

_'Cause we are finally free, tonight!_

As he strummed the guitar while humming the lyrics to himself, Nico watched his bandmates in their element— Jason with his guitar and Frank with his drums, and Percy with his bass. He was going to miss this a lot. But as the song said, at least they had one more night. 

_We won't hear a word they say_

_They don't know us anyway_

_Watch it burn_

_Let it die_

_Cause we are finally free tonight_

* * *

As soon as he left the stage, Nico was tackled into a hug by Hazel from the side. Even though she was a foot shorter than him, she somehow wrapped him into a bear hug, making him lean into the warmth and take in the faint smell of cinnamon and honey that never failed to remind him of his baby sister.   
  
_Baby sister. Wait._  
  
"What the hell, Hazel? Who let you in here?" Nico tried to sound angry, but instead it came off as confronting. That was the closest he could come to scolding Hazel.   
  
"I had a fake ID. The guard looked suspicious, but he let me in anyway," Hazel shrugged, and then looked a little concerned. "C'mon, you didn't think I was gonna miss your last performance before you guys go on a break, did you? And anyway, I'm eighteen now."   
  
"Exactly! You're practically a baby."   
  
"Give her a break, Neeks," Percy cut in before Nico could add anything, patting Nico's back, "Let her have fun tonight. 'Cause you know, _we are finally free, tonight!_ " Percy finished off the sentence in an obnoxious singsong voice. Nico had so many replies prepared for Percy's comment, but he swallowed each one of them. All of his energy was spent on trying not to consciously think about Percy's hand on his shoulder.   
  
When Jason brought him a glass of rum and coke, he accepted and downed it in one go. He gave a one-over to his surroundings, wondering what his friends were up to.   
  
Frank was at a distance, holding a conversation with Leo and his elaborate hand gestures. Frank had a slight annoyed frown on his face, which made sense when Leo was the one doing the talking. Annabeth was by the counter, talking animatedly to Will and one other girl Nico didn't recognize. He couldn't locate Piper, and wondered why she hadn't come, before remembering something about a movie premier or something she was supposed to attend tonight.   
  
His wandering eyes found and settled on Percy at last, who looked apprehensive, almost jumpy. Knowing Percy wouldn't be the one to start the conversation, he decided to spare the man some more apprehension and asked, "What, Percy?"   
  
"I know we've talked about it like a million times, but are you sure about the break?" Percy said it all in a breath and a half. "You could just get a temporary replacement, you know."   
  
Nico rolled his eyes and from the corner of his eyes noticed Jason do the same. _This again_. When Percy said they'd talked about it _like a million times_ , it had been only slightly an exaggeration. Percy's guilt at taking a break from the band was so apparent since his default expression these days matched a dog who'd chewed their owner's shoes. That, and the fact that during " _random_ " conversations he'd " _discreetly_ " slip in some bassists who were more than willing to fill in his shoes for the time being.   
  
The band had been a manifestation of Percy's childhood dream of playing in a band someday. Two years ago, he had assembled a ragtag group of friends and convinced them to form " _The Olympians_ ". From convincing his mom to let him use their garage for practice to getting them small gigs in the cafes and bars, Percy had put his heart and soul into it.   
  
And when Percy had decided to take a break, it felt only right to wait for him to catch up.   
  
Jason decided to speak for the both of them. "We wouldn't be doing it if it was a bother to us," he said. "Also, you're the bassist _and_ the lead singer, do you know how hard it would be to find a replacement? I absolutely hate to say this, but you're kinda important to the band. It's really annoying." Jason topped it all off with a disgusted face.   
  
Even if this earned Jason an elbow to his ribs, Nico could see how Percy's shoulders relaxed and his eyes regained his usual shine.   
  
When Percy didn't say anything, Jason decided to continue. "Right, that's settled then. Next drinks are on me."   
  
"Oh, I'd love to stay, but I've got to run an early errand tomorrow"—Percy looked at his wristwatch—"Er—today, apparently."   
  
"Alright then. Looks like it's just you and me, Neeks," Jason slid an arm around him, but Nico was quick to pull out of it.   
  
"I'm heading home too, so it's just you and you. And don't call me Neeks!" he huffed.   
  
Jason shrugged and walked towards the counter, his laughter blending with a string of "Okay Neeks. Alright Neeks. Definitely not, Neeks. I'll keep that in mind, Neeks. Have a good night, _Neeks_."   
  
Man, he really needed new friends. Which would be a shame, given that this lot had started growing on him.   
  
As Nico headed for the exit, he saw Percy drape his jacket over Annabeth, revealing a blue hoodie that would have brought out his eyes had it not been for the dim lights in the bar. It made him more aware than ever of the cold and his regret on not bringing a jacket. He could also see Annabeth smile and kiss Percy on the cheek— a gesture so sweet it would have warmed his heart, if not for the— _Do not think about that!_  
  
Nico was contemplating slipping past them without anyone noticing when he felt a hand on his shoulder.   
  
"C'mon, I'll walk you home," Nico heard Will's voice call out to him from behind, speaking directly to him for the first time that evening. Tearing his eyes from the couple, Nico turned to Will.   
  
"It's just a couple of blocks away from here Will," Nico let some amusement into his voice, "I hardly need a chaperone."   
  
"Well then Mr. Star of the night, I'll walk you a couple blocks away from here," Will huffed, and Nico gave a tiny shrug, letting Will lead the way. 

* * *

  
"You were great tonight," Will said as they walked through the street. Whether it was a stupid attempt to make a small talk or a genuine compliment, Nico didn't know. Knowing Will, it was probably the latter.   
  
"As opposed to the other nights when I was not so great?" Nico teased, reveling in satisfaction when Will's he saw Will's cheeks turn into a cute shade of red, even under the dim streetlights. It was one of the things he liked about Will, how easily he could be flustered.   
  
"I didn't— That's not what I— Oh shut up!" Will sputtered, making Nico laugh harder.   
  
When Nico had met Will— a gangly fifteen year old insecure mess— he hadn't been too impressed. It wasn't until a year into their tentative (forced) friendship that Nico had actually started warming up to the guy and discovered more and more than insecurities and flushed cheeks. Now, almost six years later, Will had become one of Nico's favourite people.   
  
Even though there were times when he didn't know what to think of him.   
  
"I mean it though, you were great today— Nope, don't you _dare_ , di Angelo!" Will held his hands up in warning when Nico opened his mouth to reuse the old joke he'd just said a few moments ago. Nico couldn't do more than smile and mutter a _thanks_.   
  
"So how's the job hunt going?" Will asked once both their silent laughters had subsided. Nico shrugged, hoping to dodge the question and not remember tonight how messed up his life was at the moment, but Will didn't seem to want to take the hint. "You know my offer still stands if you ever change your mind—"   
  
"—I'm not working at your bookshop handling a position you clearly made up just out of convenience for me."   
  
"Hey! _Professional dustboy_ is a legit position. Also, all positions and jobs and were made up at some point."   
  
When his friends had heard of his termination at his last job, they'd jumped in and offered their services. While some ideas had been helpful and sounded like someone had actually spent a few braincells coming up with them, most of them had been pretty ridiculous. " _I'm not gonna sign up for a sugar daddy, Valdez!"_  
  
Somehow _,_ that hadn't been the worst idea on the table.   
  
Will's idea had made most sense out of all them. He'd inherited the bookshop two years ago and currently was running it with his sister who was taking a gap year from her studies. Will's pre-med classes and the university made it difficult for him to actively dedicate his time to the shop, but Nico knew he made it a point to at least check in every other night or so.   
  
Which is how Nico also knew they didn't need any more people working at the shop. Will was a nice person, and he was definitely the kind who would offer their friends a job if they needed one, even if they didn't have an opening.  
  
And while Nico had been grateful, he didn't quite entertain the idea of one of his friends signing his paychecks. Nico had promised himself he wouldn't accept the job unless he was really, _really_ desperate.   
  
"I'm not sure if _Professional dustboy_ fits my aesthetic as perfectly as a ghostwriter, to be honest. And I'm thinking of focusing on freelancing for the time being." _Liar_.  
  
"Of course, I understand," Will said, shifting his hands into his pockets, "Those eroticas won't write themselves after all."   
  
"Hey I don't just write eroti— whatever!" Nico huffed in annoyance, making Will laugh only harder. "I'm still not sure, but I promise I'll think about it, alright?"   
  
"Hmm. Okay ghost king, I'll hold you to that."  
  
They stopped by Nico's apartment building and when Will turned to say his goodbyes, he looked at Will properly for the second time that evening. A smidge of ink had left a stain on Will's left cheek (he must have been walking around with it the whole evening). Nico wondered if anyone had told him about it. They probably hadn't. He decided not to, either.  
  
"Don't be a stranger. I've missed you, you know," Will added as he waved a goodbye and started walking away. He said it not as an afterthought, but matter-of-factly, as though he were merely commenting on the weather.  
_  
The sky is clear today, isn't it? Reckon its gonna be like this for the next few days. Oh, and I've missed you._  
  
"Uh yeah, you too."   
  


* * *

  
~~_The proof of my love, you ask? Is the fact that the blood is running in your veins and not trailing like a waterfall down your sweet neckline not enough?_  
~~  
Nope.   
_  
_~~_I destroyed anyone who came between us and I'd do it all over again. For you. I'm not scared of that. What I'm scared of, is that even if you told me to stop, I wouldn't want to_.~~  
  
Nope. Even worse.   
_  
I could destroy your soul and watch from sidelines as you crumble from inside and blow away into nothingness like ashes from a pyre. But I won't. Because I love you._  
  
Okay that's plain creepy.   
  
Nico let out a deep sigh as he followed the old pattern of typing and deleting the sentence. A part of him was really glad for the technological advancements that didn't have him tearing off the page and crumpling it into the garbage bin like they did in the movies. Although that did sound pretty fun.  
  
What was up with him tonight?   
  
_Romance Ghostwriter needed: 3 part dark romance cliffhanger series. 11-12k words/part  
_  
When he'd won the bid and taken in the project, Nico had been so sure it would be a piece of cake for him.  
  
Romance? _Bring it on._ Dark? _His aesthetic_. Cliffhanger? _He lived for the stuff_.   
  
It was only when he had sat down and actually started writing he'd realized how exhausting getting even a sentence typed would be.   
  
The story had started out great, even if he said so himself. He'd developed the premise without giving anything major away, and the suspense looked promising. The first hurdle however, was developing romance between the mafia ringleader and a local cop's daughter who was currently kidnapped by the ringleader's henchmen. _And_ t _he romance is supposed to be dark, di Angelo, not straight up toxic!_   
  
He'd written last sentence an hour ago, and somehow it was worse than what he'd written about two hours before that. Nico had been staring at his laptop screen for a solid hour, his hands hovering at the keyboard as if the words would magically type themselves. But he still wasn't able to focus.   
  
Maybe the break from _The olympians_ was getting to him more than he let on.   
  
A break from the band meant he'd be seeing his friends less often, and practice songwriting less. On the plus side, it would give him more time to look for a new job. And it's not like they were famous or anything; outside the university, they played mostly at bars and on some events hosted by their friends of friends. They had had a total of three interviews during their whole career— two for a campus magazine and once for the... uhh... well, he didn't even remember now.   
  
But someday they could be big. Nico knew his bandmates didn't care about being famous— Jason and Frank were perfectly happy where they were. Even Percy, who had dreamed of this as a child, had grown out of his fantasies and just played for fun. But Nico, he wanted them to go big someday.   
  
He found it hard not to be bitter about Percy leaving even if the poor guy was drowning in guilt. The band had meant so much to him and he wouldn't have done it if he could help it. _It's something I_ have _to do before I lose my courage again, you know,_ Percy had said.  
  
Maybe it wasn't about the fact that they were taking a break so much as why Percy was leaving. But now was not the time to think about that. He had a deadline to meet and 20k worth of words to type.   
  
_Take a deep breath,_ he said to himself _. C'mon, you can do it._  
  
With a new surge of energy, he sat down and started typing.   
  
_I wish your love was like a drug, maybe then I'd find myself being addicted to it._  
  
_That's fucking it._ This was clearly a sign that he needed to call it a night. Even dark romance filled nightmares seemed more alluring than the reality where he actually thought of and typed these cringey lines.   
  
Nico closed his laptop without bothering to shut it down and checked his phone. Apparently he had it on silent since he hadn't noticed his message notification go off— once about thirty minutes ago and one ten minutes ago. The first message was from Percy.   
  
From: Percy  
_Heyy, great show 2nite!_  
_I know i said it already but m really srry we had to be on hiatus_  
_but ill see u around Neeks!!! Luv u man_  
  
From the notification bar he saw that the other message was from Will, but Nico didn't care about that. His eyes kept returning and rereading the last three words from Percy's text. Those words, those misspelled, carelessly typed words somehow seemed to hold more beauty in them than anything he had written for the past three hours. More beauty than anything he could ever hope to write.   
  
_Love_ , he decided, _turned people into hypocrites_. 


	2. Count your blessings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will counts the many reasons why he loves his shop and the job.  
> Meanwhile Nico makes a decision regarding the said job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole thing might seem a little rushed (because it is) but I wanted to post it today so here it is.

Will knew that in this life, he had several reasons to believe he was truly blessed. While the passing thought came to him almost everyday, it was only on mornings like today that he had the time and a clarity of his mind to stop and wonder at how blessed he really was, and how he wouldn't trade it for the world.   
  
There was his family— his entire support system and his rock, his friends whom he could trust his life on, and there were people that filled both shoes. He had his passion for medicine and his dream that seemed to get closer and closer to him with every passing day, and his university where he was only a year from graduating. And then there was his _baby_ , the bookstore he owned and worked at.   
  
_The three hyacinths_ was Will's pride and joy, and he didn't even have to hesitate to say that there were only a few things he loved more than his bookshop. It wasn't big, but it was cosy and had a homey feel, and it had its own story and a definite character to it.  
  
It was a shame he wasn't able to look after the shop as often like he used to before. The mid-terms had him burning the midnight candles at both ends and as if they weren't already stressful, the anatomy professor would always give them additional homework like they were still in middle school.   
  
Even amidst the stress and chaos, there were mornings like these when he could afford to let himself relax before the customers would start coming in. He'd usually sit by the counter with a book on one hand and a mug of lukewarm coffee forgotten on the table and feel like a protagonist of a 90s cheesy romcom. With relatively better hairstyle. And relatively less dressing sense.   
  
Will was solely in charge of _The three hyacinths_ on Saturdays, when Kayla took the whole day off and usually did whatever— what _did_ late teenagers who weren't in college do these days? Anyway, for all the effort she put, Kayla deserved a break every now and then, and Will was more than happy to cover her part of responsibilities whenever he could.   
  
Speaking of Kayla, she made her presence known through the bell chime on the entrance door.   
  
"Morning Will," her voice rang through the door as she strode through the counter with a definite urgency. She opened the drawer reserved for old bookmarks and knick knacks, and rummaged through until she found a key chain— or at least something that looked like a key chain.   
  
"I'll see you in the evening," she lifted her hand in a small wave as her other hand rested at the door handle.   
  
"Hey hey, wait," Will called after her. "At least give me updates on what I should be expecting today."   
  
"Oh yeah, I totally forgot. Mrs. Stevenson said she'd be coming to pick up her order today. I have it ready there," Kayla waved in the general direction of the said order. "Remind her that she's already paid forty percent of the total in advance, she's probably forgotten about that. Also some guy called yesterday, asking for an update on the self help books by Robin Sharma. I'm pretty sure he's going to call again today, even if I told him _twice_ that the new order wouldn't be arriving until the next week."  
  
"Noted. Mrs. Stevenson. Remind her about the advance. Annoying guy. Anything else?"   
  
"Umm, nope. That's all."   
  
Just then the bell chime on the door jingled again, and Annabeth walked in.   
  
"Oh, and Annabeth mentioned she'd be stopping by today to look for some books before they leave for Greece," Kayla supplied very helpfully. "Something about travel books and study guides. No, I think she said study books and travel guides, or was it—" here, she realized she'd been rambling for the past minute, and cleared her throat, walking towards the exit— "You know what, now that Annabeth's here, you can just ask her." With a final wave of goodbye to both of them, Kayla was out of the shop.   
  
Will smiled to himself. He loved his sister to death, but there wasn't enough tact or grace in the world that could save her conversations sometimes.   
  
"Hey Annabeth," Will turned to address the first customer of the day. "Sorry we're out of ' _How to spice up your honeymoon_ ' books, but I'll pretend to check on the back shelves for you," he teased.   
  
"Ha ha. First of all, it's not a honeymoon, and while we're at it, he's not going to propose to me either," Annabeth looked at him sternly. "It's a small vacation to give ourselves a break we both deserve," She took the chair next to Will and made herself comfortable.   
  
"A small vacation. For three weeks. In the place you've dreamed of visiting since you'd studied Greek history in Middle school."   
  
"Yeah yeah, I know you think Percy might propose on the vacation, but I think I know my boyfriend a little better than you do."   
  
Will smirked to himself. He didn't _think_ Percy might propose to her, he _knew_ Percy definitely would propose. He knew this because Percy had told him in person, and Nico had told him of the real reason why Percy was taking a break from the band. But Annabeth didn't have to know that.   
  
"I'm just saying, at least make sure you have a surprised face when he proposes, and let him know that his plan was not at all predictable."   
  
Will had the softest spot among his friends for Annabeth. Having known each other since he was eight and she had just become eleven, at this point she was almost as much of a sister to him as Kayla. Annabeth had also known him longer than Percy, which was something he never let Percy forget.   
  
When Annabeth responded not with words but only a smile, Will stood up from the chair and downed the now cold coffee, "Come on then, let's get you those books you need."   
  


* * *

  
"Trust me, you're gonna need this," Will shoved a copy of _The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Greece: A Handbook for Time Travelers_ into Annabeth's hands, who looked mildly sceptical.   
  
"I don't think I need to know what to do when my Time Machine is stuck in a time loop in ancient Greece, to be honest," she flipped through random pages of the book, occasionally eyeing the contents. "Besides, I know about the history stuff already, I just need a proper travel guide or at least a handbook."   
  
Will shrugged and muttered _as you wish_ under his breath and looked for travel guides for Greece.   
  
"How's Nico doing with his search for a new job, by the way?" Annabeth asked after a few moments of silence.   
  
"Still hasn't found one, I think. I haven't heard from him since their last gig, but I talked to Hazel the other day. All she told me was how stubborn he was being and how he wouldn't ask their dad for some help."  
  
"Sounds like Nico. I'm guessing your plan to entice him with an employment opportunity is not working out as planned?" Annabeth had an unmistakable smirk on her lips even when she tried to act natural.   
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"   
  
"Aw death boy, you could totally work at my bookshop even if we're not looking to hire any employees, all because you're just a good friend and I totally don't have a crush on you," Annabeth exaggerated her hand gestures and spoke in what Will guessed was an extremely poor imitation of his voice. He found it hard not to be offended, even after ignoring the _crush_ part.   
  
"You _know_ I'd do it for any of my friends," Will pouted. _Did she not know that?_  
  
"Sure you would," Annabeth smirked, and continued before Will could protest, "Anyway, I'd offer him a small position in my firm; it would be easier for him to fit in since he already knows the basics of CAD, but I think he'd rather admit to his real height than accept or at least listen to me."   
  
Will let out a long sigh. "He doesn't hate you, Annie." He'd had enough conversations with her on this topic.   
  
"I didn't say _hate_ , it's more like unwarranted and inherent dislike. Or loathing." Annabeth continued to sort through the shelf, occasionally flipping through a book and giving it a once over.   
  
Will couldn't deny what she'd just said, partly because she was mostly right, and partly because Annabeth never drew conclusions without the facts backing her up. He knew of Nico's slight dislike towards Annabeth, and he also knew that it wasn't completely unwarranted. He was sure Annabeth knew of this too and the fact that she'd used _unwarranted_ made her into kind of a hypocrite.  
_  
Remember your "_ unwarranted _" hatred towards Rachel back in high school?_ he wanted to ask her.   
  
"Well it's upto him now, whatever he decides to do with— Hey look, you might like this one," Will held a copy of _Lonely Planet's Best of Greece & the Greek Islands _outto her.   
  
As she flipped through the pages of the book he'd just handed her, Will wondered about Nico and the job. He would have obviously liked Nico to work here (part of him still refused to admit that Nico was getting special treatment), but he also understood why he would have any reservations. Despite what he had said the other day, Will knew Nico wouldn't accept his offer unless he was really desperate.   
  


* * *

  
Nico was _really_ _desperate.  
_  
The finances were not an issue— at least not yet— but the lack of a proper job had him losing his mind for the past week. He wasn't generally used to sitting around the apartment being unproductive since his college years— year.  
  
The worst part was that he was steadily losing whatever motivation he had left to finish his stupid mafia dark romance story.   
  
Nico tried writing new song to keep his mind off things for the time being, but he kept getting distracted. Every time he tried to jot down the words into his journal, his mind wandered to the conversation he had had with Hazel some days ago.   
  
_"Just talk to dad for once. You know he's definitely going to help you."  
  
"Honestly Haze, I'd rather follow Leo's advice. At least he was thoughtful enough to provide me with a list of potential sugar daddies," he had answered. _  
  
Today marked the eleventh day of Nico's termination at his last job in the retail store. There had been rumours of downsizing in the store for as long as he'd started working all those years ago. He had never believed that they would actually go through it, although if he had to guess who would be the first to let go, he would have bet on himself.   
  
It wasn't his competence at the job that was an issue. He'd spent the last two and a half years in the store with rarely any work related complaints, although he'd hated every minute of it. No, he was probably let go because he was the most expendable among the other employees.   
  
It wouldn't be long before Will withdrew his offer and decided on not hiring him. And if he sat here doing nothing, he might just have no other option but to take Leo up on that offer. Which would be insanely embarrassing considering the patronizing tone he had used to turn down the offer.  
  
He had to make a choice sooner than later.   
  
Nico opened his messages and in the slowest pace he could muster, like it physically pained him, started typing a text to Will.   
  
_To: Sunny Boy_ 🌞  
_(22:49) Hey Will, I've thought about it and I'd really like to take on your offer for the job. Thanks a lot._  
  
Nope, too formal. Nico started deleting the text as soon as he'd finished typing. Honestly, he'd written emails more informal than this to his professors back when he was still in college. Which probably explained why he was currently a dropout.   
  
_To: Sunny Boy_ _🌞_ _  
(22:58) Hey, i think I'll take that job. when do I start working  
_  
Still not right. It was getting a little frustrating.   
  
_To: Sunny Boy_ 🌞  
_(23:09) Heyy Will, guess what? I think I'll be working at your stupid bookstore after all. Don't get me wrong, I'm really grateful, but I'm still a little uncomfortable with the arrangement. Turns out, comfort apparently doesn't pay the bills. Who knew? Guess I'll just have to suck it up and be a_ Professional dustboy _or whatever clusterfuck of a job title you have in store. Double yay for me!_  
  
Nico hastily deleted the text lest he should risk accidentally pressing the send button. 

* * *

  
By the time Will closed the store and reached his apartment, it was almost midnight.   
  
He'd closed the shop fairly early. He had decided to study in the shop to compensate for the fact that he couldn't get any studies done during the day like he'd hoped he would. Saturday was a busy day for _The three hyacinths,_ even more so than the Sundays.   
  
Annabeth had ended up taking the first hour of his morning looking through the books and making random conversation with him. She'd left the shop with a copy of _Lonely Planet's Best of Greece & the Greek Islands, Moon Greek Islands & Athens, _and the newest edition of _The Stranger,_ which, as Will had convinced her, would make an excellent companion during the flight. 

The morning had gotten busier with Mrs. Stevenson who had not only forgotten about the advance payment, but was actively insisting that she pay the full amount, the middle school kids that mostly hung out at the reading area, elderly women who had no sense of time, and a few phone calls where the caller had hung up as soon Will said his customary words of greeting of _Hello, welcome to The three hyacinths, how may I help you?_  
  
So to summarize, Will was beyond exhausted. And yet he wouldn't trade it for the world.   
  
A string of message notifications popped into Will's phone and put a hold on his musings.   
  
_From: Death boy_ _☠️_ _  
(23:33) I'm not sitting on the counter and I won't receive the phone calls at any cost.  
  
(23:33) I should be allowed to wear headphones while working and I need the right to be able to say fuck off to anyone who disturbs me.   
  
(23:35) And just because you own the store, I'm not gonna start calling you 'boss' or whatever unless it's for ironic or mocking or teasing purposes.   
  
(23:36) Also, when can I start working?   
_  
An involuntary smile slowly made its way through Will's lips.   
  
_Blessed indeed._

**Author's Note:**

> I have high hopes for this one 'cause its mostly self-indulgent, and also because I never seem to have enough attention span to write a multi-chapter fic.  
> Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.  
> Comments and kudos are appreciated. I'll see you in the next chapter (God knows when that will be). 💙💙


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